Compressor



Jiine 15, 1943. w. c. TYLER 2,321,781

COMPRESSOR.-

Filed Aug.' 8, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 1 :i ii I FI Z0. INVENTOR.

6 Warren (VP/ex June 15, 1943. w. c. TYLER COMPRESSOR I Filed Aug. 8, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N V EN TOR. M PM? 17 C 5 81" BY I ATTOR Y W. C.. TYLER June 15, 1943.

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Patented June 15, 1943 UNITED COMPRESSOR Warren 0. Tyler, Huntington Park, Calif.

Application August 8, 1938, Serial No. 2235613 2 Claims.

My invention relates to machines for supplying air or gas under pressure and has particular reference to a compressor which combines some of the characteristics of both positive displacement and centrifugal types of compressors and which has special utility when employed as a supercharging compressor for airplanes or other high fuel consumption engines.

Compressors of this type are customarily used in connection with internal combustion engines to supply air for the explosive mixture where very large manifold pressure losses are encountered due to the large volume of air required, or where there is a scarcity of air as in th case of airplanes flying at extremely high altitudes. I

Compressors employed for this service are generally of the centrifugal blower type, which have the advantage of a uniform discharge free from pulsations ordinarily present in the discharge of reciprocating types of compressors. The centrifugal type of blower has, however, numerous disadvantages, the most serious of which is the rapid loss ofcapacity as the intake pressure reduces, as is the case of airplanes flying at high altitudes. of capacity, it is common practice to rotate these blowers at speeds which are extremely high. The excessive speed of rotation of these blowers gives rise to high maintenance cost as well as a high initial cost resulting from the need for employing special metals and alloys to withstand the excessive stresses imposed by the high speed.

In general, theordinary reciprocating type of compressor is unfit for this service inasmuch as the size and weight become prohibitive When a unit sufliciently large to supply the demands for air made by the engine is installed. The ordinary reciprocating type also has the outstanding disadvantage of being unable to supply a continuous, non-pulsating flow of air without the employment of a large receiver. The ordinary reciprocating type also gives rise to appreciable vibration stresses which are very undesirable in airplane applications.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to supply a positive displacement type of compressor which incorporates the advantages of a centrifugal type.

It is an additional'object of my invention to provide a compressor of this type which may be operated at relatively high speeds.

It is a further object of my inventionto .provide a reciprocating type of compressor which maybe compact and light in weight.

It is a further object of my invention to pro- In order to compensate for this loss vide a compressor of the type described, which is particularly adapted to supply compressed air individually to each cylinderof a multi-cylinder engine.

Itis also an object of my invention to provide a compressor of the type described, in which a novel method. of construction and assembly is employed, whereby the cost of construction is materially reduced.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparentfrom a study of the following specifications, read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a compressor of my invention showing the relative locations of the cylinders and drive shaft;

- Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the line' II'II of Fig. 1 showing'the relationship of the parts;

'Fig. 3 is a plan view of a novel spacer and crank shaft bearing member of my invention;

Fig. 4 is an elevation of the spacer member taken along on the lineIV-IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section of the spacer member taken .011 the line V-V of Fig. 3;

' Fig. 6 .i an exploded viewshowing the relationship of the parts of the toggle type connectingrods employed in my invention;

-Fig. 7 is another exploded view of the connecting rods showing the relationship between the two connecting rod halves;

Fig. 8 is an elevation, partly in section, of the pistons employed in my compressor;

. Fig. 9 is a section taken along the line IXIX of Fig. 8showing additional details of construction of the pistons;

- Fig. 10 is an end view of one of the intake valves employed;

' Fig. 11 is a section takenalong the line XIXI of Fig. l0'showing the relationship of the parts included inthe intake valve mechanism;

Fig. 12 is an end View of the exhaust valve used in my' compressor; and

Fig. 13 is a section taken on the line XIII-XIII of Fig. 12 showing the details of construction of the exhaust valve.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the compressor-of my invention includes a base [5 upon which is supported a cylindricallyshaped housing l6. At each end of the housing l6 are located cylinder blocks H, in each of which I provide four cylinders 18, arranged as illustrated in Fig. 2". "Pistons H] are fitted in each of the cylinders l8 and adapted to be reci-procated therein.

In order to supply power for reciprocating the pistons I9 I provide a drive shaft 28 which is journalled in suitable bearings 2| and 22 carried by the cylinder blocks l1, and centrally located relative to the symmetrically arranged cylinders H3. The drive shaft 20 is fitted at its mid- -portion with thrust bearings 23 and 24 and a drive gear 25 of the Worm or spiral type. Driven gears 26 are disposed about the drive gear 25 in such a position as to register therewith and be rotated thereby whenever the drive shaft 20 is rotated.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and it will be seen that the driven gear 26 is suitably attached to a short crank shaft 21 which provides a crank throw 28 and stub ends 29. Stub ends 29 are suitably journalled as by bearings 30, secured to a spacer member 3!. The spacer member 3| extends between and is suitably attached to the cylinder blocks I! as illustrated in Fig. 2. In order that the rotation of the crank thro 28, may transmit a. reciprocating motion to the piston 19 I provide a toggle type connecting rod, which is best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The connecting rod includes a right-hand portion 32 and a left-hand portion 33. The right-hand portion 32 is provided at the crank shaft'end with a tongue-shaped bearing member 34 which is fitted with a suitable bearing 35adapted to encircle the crank throw 28. The left-hand connecting rod portion 33 has formed at the crank shaft end, a groove-like member 36 which is complementary to the tongue-like member 35 of the right-hand portion. The left-hand portion is fitted with a bearing 31 which is also adapted to encircle the crank throw 28. As shown in Fig. 2 the tongue portion of the right-hand connecting rod is inserted in the groove portion of the left-hand connecting rod and the crank throw 28 passed through the bearings 35 and 31 so as to unite the right and left-hand portions into a toggle-like connecting rod mechanism.

Each connecting rod portion is provided in the piston end with an opening 38 adapted to receive a piston pin 39. (See Figs. 8 and 9.) The pistons I9, which are fitted in cylinders I8, employ a plurality of compression rings 48, fitted in suitable piston ring grooves in a piston body 4|. The piston body 4| is hollowed out in the center leaving a recess 42, into which project bosses 43. The bosses 43 are provided with suitable means for securing the piston pin 39.

summarizing briefly, it will be seen that rotation of the drive shaft will cause rotation of the driven gear 28 through its engagement with the drive gear afiixed to the drive shaft 28. Rotation of the gear 26 in turn rotates the crank shaft 21, causing the pistons I9 to travel in a reciprocating fashion in and out of cylinders l8 through connection of the pistonsto the crank shaft by the connecting rods 32 and 33. It will be observed that with this type of construction, the left-hand of a pair of pistons will be making a compression stroke while the right-hand of a said pair will be making an intake stroke.

It is obvious, of course, that one pair of opposed pistons will be staggered in their operation with respect to another pair; that is to say, that the mechanism can be so arranged that when one set of pistons is just startinga compression or intake stroke, a second set can be arranged to be operating in the midportion of a stroke. Therefore, it is apparent that the use of a plurality of cylinders, when combined with the opposed and staggered arrangement of my invention, will lend 20 28, resulting from the rotation of the drive shaft to an almost continuous and uniform discharge of compressed air from the cylinders.

In order that a reciprocating motion of the pistons l9 may be employed for the purpose of compressing air or other gases, I provide intake valves 44, which are best illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11. The intake valve 44 includes a valve body 45, which is provided with means such as screw threads 46 for securing it to the cylinder block l7. Valve body 45 is provided with a valve seat 41 to which is fitted a valve head 48. Valve head 48 is attached to a valve stem 49, suitably guided in a valve guide 58, which is in turn supported by a spider 5| carried by the valve body 45, The valve stem 49 is provided at its upper end with a. collar 52, which engages one end of a compression spring 53, which encircles the valve stem 49: and is confined between the collar 52 and thespider. 5| in such a manner as to urge the valvehead 48 into intimate contact with the valve seat 41.

I prefer to make the intake valve 44 readily removable, and have therefore illustrated a portion of the valve body 45 as being hexagonal in shape to facilitate the use of a suitable wrench therewith. It is understood, however, that the valve 44 may be of any desired shape. I also prefer to make the valve body 45 as large as, or larger in external diameter than the piston, thereby allowing the inspection or removal of the piston whenever the valve 44 is removed.

I also provide exhaust valves 54, which are mounted in exhaust valve ports in the blocks I1.

The exhaustvalves' 54 (seeFigs. 12 and 13) include a valve body 55, which is provided-with suitable means such as screw threads 56 for securing it to the cylinder block II. The valve body 55 has formed therein a valve seat 51 which is engaged by a valve head 58. A valve stem 59 is attached to the valve head 58 and is guided by means of a valve guide 60 formed on a supportingrspider 6|, which is suitably attached to the valve body 55. Acompression spring 62 encircles the valve stem '59, one end of the valve spring 62 resting on the spider BI and the other end engaging the valve head 58'so as to force the valve head 58 into intimate contact with the valve seat 51; 1

In operation, air is drawn into the cylinder [8 through the intake valve 44, the differential in pressure resulting from the suction stroke operating to open the intake valve against the closing action of the spring 53 to allow the air to pass between the'valve head and the valve seat. As the piston returns on the compression stroke, the spring 53 closes the intake valve 44 and the air is compressed in the cylinder I8. The compressed air is forced I through a channel H formed in the cylinder block I! so as to communicate between the upper end of the cylinder l8 and the exhaust valve 54. When the pressure on the underside oftheexhaust valve head 58 becomes sufficiently great to overcome the clos ing action of the spring 62 and the air pressure on the discharge side, the valve 54 will be opened allowing the compressed air. to discharge'into a receiver 12. V V,

The housing l6 is-formed of two, concentric cylinder-like portions-l3 and 14, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The annular space. between the inner cylinder 13 and'the outer cylinder" forms. an air-tight chamber, which-I. employ as the ,receiver'l2. 7

In order thatthe sha -ates will, le

readily accessible for replacements or repairs, I provide air-tight plugs 15 in the outer cylindrical portion 14 of the housing I6 in such location as to lie on the axis of the exhaust valve 54. It is readily seen that removal of the plug 15 will allow the insertion of a suitable tool and the removal of the exhaust valve 62.

I also provide on drive shaft 20 a pair of fly wheels 16, whose primary purpose is to tend to smooth out the pulsating load imposed on the drive shaft 20 by the action of the pistons l9 while compressing a gas.

I prefer to make the fly wheels 16 of a conventional rim and spoke type, but have provided spokes employing a special cross section, as illustrated at 11 in Fig. 2, so that the spokes operate as a fan to direct air to the intake valves 44. I provide guards or end bells 18 which are secured as by bolts 19 to the housing It) and which have a suitable opening 80 through which the intake air is drawn by the fan-like fly wheel 16.

The end bells 18 are provided with annular ring-shaped surfaces 8| adapted to engage the outer surface of the cylinder blocks Hi. It will be seen that as the bolts 19 are tightened to secure the end bells 18, the cylinder blocks 11 will be forced inwardly. The cylinder blocks I! are, as has been previously shown, spaced apart by the spacer member 3| so that tightening the bolts 19 operate to clamp the cylinder blocks I! and the structure attached thereto rigidly within the housing Hi.

In order that the compressed air stored in the receiver 12 may be conducted through individual tubes to the various cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine, I provide a dome-shaped cap 82, suitably secured to the housing l6 as by bolts 83 in such a manner as to close an enlarged orifice 84 provided in the housing I6. The dome shaped. cap 82 has formed integrally therewith a plurality of bosses 85. The bosses are drilled and provided with suitable means for connecting the discharge tubing, shown as threads 86 in Fig. 1.

As desired, the cylinder blocks l'l may be cored as shown at 8'! to constitute a water jacket through which cooling water may be circulated in any well known manner, while the draft of air blown by the fly wheel fan blades will efiect a cooling of the cylinder heads and of the water, or other cooling medium employed.

It will be readily seen that I have provided a compressor which includes the advantages of a reciprocating compressor, namely, that of posi tive displacement and the ability to work against high back pressures, and which also includes the advantages peculiar to the centrifugal type of compressor.

It is readily understood that the compressor of my invention will supply a steady, uninterrupted, non-pulsating flow of air at high pressure and that through the use of relatively small pistons operating on a short stroke, the compressor may be rotated at high speeds, thus afiording a continuity of load and discharge comp-arable to the blower type.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction illustrated and described, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine for compressing a gas, the combination of: a housing including an inner member enclosing an inner space and including an outer member defining between said outer and inner members an outer space for the storage of gas; a plurality of gas compressing mechanisms enclosed within said inner space; and gas conducting means extending from said mechanisms into said outer space for conducting thereto gas compressed by said mechanisms.

2. In a machine for compressing a gas, the combination of a housing including an inner quasi-cylindrical housing member enclosing an inner space and including an outer quasi-cylindrical housing member defining between said outer housing member and said inner housing member a gas tight outer space; a pair of cylinder blocks, each supported near an end of said inner housing member and enclosed within said inner space; a cylinder in each cylinder block; a movable piston in each of said cylinders; means for reciprocating'said pistons to compress a gas in said cylinders; and gas conducting means extending from said cylinders into said gas tight outer space for conducting thereto gas compressed by reciprocation of said pistons.

WARREN C. TYLER. 

